Via state.gov:

The Heroes of U.S. Diplomacy initiative will launch at U.S. Department of State in the Harry S. Truman Building in Washington, D.C. on Friday, September 13, 2019. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo will kick-off the event, and the Director of the Foreign Service Institute Ambassador Daniel B. Smith will serve as Master of Ceremonies. The inaugural event features the first “Hero” Elizabeth “Lizzie” Slater in conversation with Director General Ambassador Carol Z. Perez. Lizzie will discuss her actions following the embassy bombings in Dar es Salaam and Nairobi in 1998 as she helped re-build the communications systems for both embassies, as well as the professional values she modeled throughout her career. Read more below.

The Heroes of U.S. Diplomacy initiative will run through 2020. This initiative highlights the stories of modern-day “Heroes Among Us,” alongside heroic figures from our Department’s rich history. These individuals displayed sound policy judgment, as well as intellectual, moral and/or physical courage while advancing the Department of State’s mission, thereby elevating U.S. diplomacy.

More about this initiative:

This initiative highlights the stories of modern-day “Heroes Among Us,” alongside heroes from our Department’s rich history. These heroes have displayed sound policy judgment, as well as intellectual, moral and physical courage while advancing the Department of State’s mission, or elevating U.S. diplomacy.

With support from the Una Chapman Cox Foundation, this initiative will include Department of State remarks and panel discussions, programming around the country, and other videos, podcasts, reading lists, and exhibits to tell these Heroes’ stories. New Heroes are announced on a semi-monthly basis. Learn about our first Hero here.

It is our hope that the Heroes of U.S. Diplomacy initiative will raise awareness about diplomacy as an instrument to advance the interests of the American people at home and around the world. This initiative will also educate current and future Department of State employees about the shared history for all foreign affairs professionals.

The Heroes of U.S. Diplomacy Steering Committee, comprised of senior Department officials, established the eligibility and criteria befitting of the Hero designation. Nominees must be affiliated with the Department of State as current or former Civil Servants, Foreign Service Generalists or Specialists, non-career appointees, Eligible Family Members, or Locally Employed Staff. To allow for historic perspective, the actions and accomplishments for which they are being recognized must have occurred at least five years prior to their nomination.